


Counting The Ways To Where You Are

by Sandyclaws68



Series: 100 Years To Live [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Gen, Get Together, M/M, Pre-Series, Team break-up, a bit angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 13:50:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6959233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandyclaws68/pseuds/Sandyclaws68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A difficult loss has the potential to tear everything down.  But it may also build up something better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting The Ways To Where You Are

The ride home was interminable.

At least it felt that way. Daichi could not remember a time when a bus occupied by the members of the Karasuno High School Boys Volleyball Club had ever been this quiet. If they had been victorious there was always loud chatter and almost constant laughter. Even after a loss there was normally some conversation, however subdued it might be.

The current stillness was unnatural, and all the more disturbing because of that. He almost felt like he should do something – say something – to break the silence. He was the captain of this ragtag bunch now; it was his responsibility to hold them together, however difficult that might be.

It hadn't even been that important of a tournament. A simple regional event that was more about pride and having fun than anything else. A warm-up for the prefectural Inter-scholastic championship that would soon be upon them. So why, then, did everyone seem to feel as if the world had collapsed around their ears?

Daichi glanced to his left out of the corner of his eye to where his best friend sat, a dejected slump to his shoulders and headphones firmly in place. Sugawara Koushi was ordinarily the most optimistic and upbeat member of the team, both on and off the court. He endlessly pushed, chided, and exhorted his teammates, encouraging all of them to do their best no matter what. Their previous captain had frequently called him _Don't mind_ as if it was his name.

So to see Suga reach up and wipe a single tear from his face was like a punch to the gut. It was bad enough that he, Asahi, and Nishinoya had all taken single seats instead of sprawling across the bus's back row together like they normally did. Each had locked himself inside his own head space, oblivious to whatever else was going on.

And Daichi had no idea as to how to get any of them out of it.

When they finally arrived back at Karasuno he decided on a small bit of practice, just an hour of simple blocking and receiving drills. To work the kinks out from the bus ride, he said. What he meant was to try and get the downtrodden trio to pull themselves together and snap out of the funk each had fallen into.

Daichi was out in the gym, picking up the last few stray balls when he heard it. Raised voices were coming from the storeroom, and although he couldn't make out the words he knew it was Asahi and Nishinoya. The libero was naturally loud even at the best of times, but for Asahi to be all but shouting meant something had seriously gone astray. He abandoned his task and started to run across the expansive room; he was just a few steps away from the storage room when he heard a loud _CRACK_ followed by Nishinoya's loud exclamation.

“Don't you dare give up on a ball I keep in play!!”

“Noya!” Tanaka called out, and there were scuffling sounds. Daichi appeared in the doorway just in time to see Tanaka, arms around Nishinoya and his hands clasped behind the shorter boys head, pulling the agitated libero off of Asahi.

“I'm a libero!” Nishinoya continued to shout. “I'm pivotal to the team, but I can't attack; I can't earn us any points. And no matter how many spikes don't get through I would _never_ blame you!” He paused to take a deep breath and when he went on he was no longer shouting, no longer defiant. “I will not, however, forgive anyone who up and quits on me!”

Tanaka's hands unclasped and he stepped back and away from Nishinoya, face a mask of shock. There was a long, drawn out silence, fraught with heavy emotion and anticipation. Daichi opened his mouth to speak, to break the weighty atmosphere, but before he could say a word Asahi pushed past Tanaka and Nishinoya and left the room without looking back. The libero was too stunned to move at first, but then he too left the room, careful to exit via the opposite door from Asahi, even though it meant taking the long way to the club room.

Daichi watched him go, struggling against his own feelings, before turning back to his other two teammates. Tanaka was as still and silent as anyone had ever seen him, apparently unable to process the fracturing of the team that he had just witnessed. Suga had stepped to one side and was holding two pieces of a broken mop handle.

“Suga -”

The silver hair moved as he gave his head a shake. “We need to lock up and get going,” he said, his voice strained beneath the false cheeriness. He carefully set aside the broken mop before leaving the room, one hand on Tanaka's shoulder, steering the younger boy ahead of him. When Daichi shifted his weight, preparing to step closer, Suga shot a glare his way. “Not now,” the pale-haired boy whispered with a significant look in Tanaka's direction.

With a nod of understanding Daichi moved aside in the doorway as his dejected team mates moved past him. He felt like he should say something, something captain-y, but he was having enough trouble with everything on his own without trying to make anyone else feel better.

****~**~**~**~**~****

The next day was Saturday, thankfully, and Daichi took full advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. It was nearly ten in the morning before he dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom. He emerged fifteen minutes later feeling better but still not fully prepared to face the day. He was actively working at convincing himself that if he just left well enough alone everything that was wrong with the team would work itself out when his phone started buzzing, the vibrations making it jump on the bedside table.

**From: Sugawara**

Need to talk

Meet me

Sakanoshita

Noon

Please

It was the _Please_ that finally got to him. Not the politeness of it; Suga was always well-mannered. It was the almost desperate vibe coming off of that last message, especially after the commands inherent in the rest. He texted back his agreement and was not surprised when his phone buzzed barely ten seconds later.

**From: Sugawara**

THANK YOU

At ten minutes to twelve Daichi turned the corner and the Sakanoshita Store came into sight. He had deliberately chosen to arrive early so he could have Suga's favorite curry bun and drink already purchased by the time his teammate arrived. But his plan was foiled by the sight of Suga pacing in front of the store, blue scarf wrapped around his neck and pale hair gleaming in the sunlight. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Daichi approach, jumping in surprise when the larger boys hand came down on his shoulder.

“Dai -” He gulped and exhaled loudly.

Daichi smiled and turned to walk into the store. “Did you want -” His words, and his motion, ground to a halt when Suga grabbed hold of his wrist.

“I don't want anything. I'm too upset to eat.” Suga sighed and his grip on his friend's wrist tightened. “I tried calling Asahi but he won't answer. I've left multiple messages, and texted him, but he's ignoring me -”

“Suga.”

“And Nishinoya! He answered his phone when I called him, but said he wasn't about to listen to a word I had to say. He said there was no way he would ever apologize for what he said last night -”

“Suga!”

“And Tanaka is being all I-don't-care-about-anything and says I should just leave it alone but how can I do that when the team is cracked and my friends aren't talking -”

“KOUSHI!”

“ - to each other and it's all my fault and - What did you just say?!”

A grin tugged on one corner of Daichi's mouth. “I said -”

Suga held up a hand. “Never mind, I know what you said,” he interrupted. “You called me Koushi. You know I hate that.”

The dark-haired boy had to laugh at the pout audible in the other's voice and visible on his face. “Yes, I do. But it worked; it got you to slow down and stop rambling.” Daichi twisted his wrist slightly and clasped Suga's hand in his. “Now we're going to walk, and you are going to – calmly and carefully - tell me what's on your mind.”

They ended up sitting on the grassy hill just below the entrance to the high school. During the trek up there Suga had spilled everything that was weighing on his mind with regard to Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka, and his efforts to reach out to each and get them all talking again. What he hadn't mentioned was his own feelings about everything; losing the match, the argument, the seeming collapse of what their team had been at this time the day before. What he hadn't repeated was the most disturbing statement contained in his earlier babbling.

_It's all my fault._

Those words were like a stab in his heart, the kind that happens so quickly that you don't even feel the pain until minutes later. Daichi was feeling the pain now, but was also aware of his own uselessness. How was he supposed to fix all of this? A part of him agreed with Tanaka that maybe it was best left to sort itself out.

But he couldn't leave it alone. Not now, not with Suga sitting beside him in the grass, shoulders slumped and a frown twisting his mouth out of shape; a mouth that was meant for smiling. He'd do just about anything to bring back the smile that he loved so much. That he had loved, he knew, from the moment they had first met.

“It's not your fault,” he whispered.

Suga turned and looked at Daichi, mouth dropping open in shock. He snapped it closed with an audible click and emphatically shook his head. “It is. We lost the match because of me and then everything fell apart and I -”

“Did nothing wrong,” Daichi interrupted him. Forcefully. “We lost the match because in that time and in that place Date Tech was better than us. As for the rest. . .” His voice trailed off and he took a deep breath before letting it out in a shaky sigh. “If that is anyone's fault it's mine.”

“Daichi -”

He laughed, a brittle, hollow sound without any humor. “I'm supposed to be the captain, right? I should have pulled myself together and done what I could to pick everyone else up. But instead I chickened out, convinced myself that if I just let well enough alone things would work out for the best.” He sucked in a breath, surprised to feel his eyes burning with unshed tears. “I don't deserve to be captain,” he went on, turning his head to meet Suga's gaze. “It should have been you.”

Suga opened and shut his mouth several times in quick succession, but never said a word. Instead he shifted closer to Daichi, close enough to rest his head on the dark-haired boy's shoulder. “You're an idiot, do you know that?” he whispered, rubbing his cheek on his friend's jacket. “We're broken right now, true. But if anyone can patch us back together it's you.”

“You're so much better with people, though,” Daichi replied, tilting his head just enough to rest on silken, pale hair. “I can lead in a match, can strategize and improvise, but you lead us emotionally. In the long run that's more important than anything else.” He took a breath, gathered up every last ounce of his courage, and pressed a kiss to Suga's head. “It's very important to me.”

Suga lifted his head just far enough so their eyes could meet. “What are you saying?” he asked, a little breathless.

“You matter to me, Suga. Very much. I've. . .” Daichi pushed away slightly and shoved his fingers through his hair, disturbed to see them trembling slightly. “I've liked you, Suga. For years. And I mean _like you_ like you.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because I. . . I need you. If I'm going to piece this team back together I need your help. And I want you to know that it's not _just_ about the team, or volleyball. I want to be with you, to be at each other's sides for anything and everything.” He stopped talking and a blush started to creep across his cheeks. “And now would be the time to tell me to get lost if you don't mmmnnnfff -”

Suga silenced him in the most effective way, by pressing his lips to Daichi's. Their noses bumped painfully together and he pulled away just long enough to tilt his head slightly to the right, then his lips were back, warm and insistent. And Daichi's fingers were in his hair as their mouths slanted together, fitting perfectly, each against the other.

When they finally broke apart Suga blinked rapidly to bring the world back into focus. “What. . .” He cleared his throat. “What just happened here?”

“I think I asked you to be my vice-captain,” Daichi replied with a laugh, kissing the mole underneath Suga's left eye. “And you accepted.”

Suga's lower lip jutted out in a pout, but there was a twinkle in his eye that could only be described as flirtatious. “Only your vice-captain?”

“Well, we might also have become boyfriends, if that's okay with you.” Daichi's smile was uncertain. “I mean, if it's what you want. No pressure.”

He grunted at the elbow in his gut. “You really are an idiot,” Suga said with a shake of his head. “I've been hoping for this since the moment we met on our very first day at Karasuno.”

Daichi's mind jumped back to that meeting, nearly two years ago. Suga had been a little bit taller than him at the time, and had fearlessly introduced himself. And he had thought the pale-haired boy was beautiful right from the start. He started to laugh out loud, rich and full, almost ringing out through the valley below the school.

“What's so funny?” Suga asked.

“Nothing.” He put an arm around his new vice-captain's shoulders and tugged his boyfriend close. “But I think that entrance ceremony has a lot to answer for.”


End file.
